Magic Stars

Magic Stars (2015) Ilona Andrews

If you’ve read the Kate Daniel’s series, this novella (which seems like it’ll be ongoing) features Derek and Julie.

If you haven’t read the Kate Daniel’s series, I’m not sure how good of a starting place this would be, simply because Derek and Julie have a past that is intertwined with Kate’s. I very much like that they are getting their own offshoot, because both of them seem to have their own stories that are quite separate from Kate’s story–they’d get short shrift if the future was detailed only as sidelines in the Kate books.

But I think that means this would not be a very good stand alone, because you would be missing so very much. (Consider the age difference between Julie and Derek–that’s a big difference at their ages, although nothing were they ten years older.)

There was nothing wrong with her legs. They were pale and muscular, and men who should know better noticed them. He was not going to notice them for a list of reasons a mile long, starting with the fact that she was sixteen, and he was twenty.

It’s funny, if you think about it. Two hundred years ago, girls were often married younger than that, but things have changed in our time, and even more interesting, the changes in the world where Julie and Derek live may be changing those age differences again.

Also, there is a LOT of backstory that can only be summed up. Such as:

“She loves you. You’re her child.”

She sighed. “I know she loves me. That’s why I’m worried. Derek, she still hasn’t told me that I can’t refuse her orders.”

Alarm dashed down his spine. He hadn’t realized she knew. “How long?”

“Roland told me months ago,” she said. “

She hasn’t told you because it’s hard.”

“I know,” she said. “She tries not to order me around. She’ll start to say some Mom thing and then stop, and you know she’s rephrasing it in her head. It’s kind of funny. Instead of ‘Stop stealing Curran’s beer out of the fridge and wash the dishes’ it’s all ‘It would make me a lot happier if you stopped stealing Curran’s beer’ and ‘It would be great if you did the dishes.’ She probably thinks she’s subtle about it. She isn’t.”

First and foremost, I love seeing this from Julie’s POV. It seemed unlikely this was a secret Kate could not really keep from Julie, but it’s also something that Kate believes could interfere with their relationship. The fact that Julie discovered it on her own and knows that Kate is doing everything possible to keep from using that link is important. I’m glad to see Julie knows, and isn’t mad.

So, to sum up, if you’re reading the Kate Daniels series, you definitely want to read this. But if you’re not familiar with the series, I think you’re better served starting somewhere else.
Rating: 8/10

Published by NYLA

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